𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

SEVENTY ONE

71|AWAKE

"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret ran towards her daughter as Bella went straight to Mr. Gold helping him off the invisible ship with a strange man.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're all right." Emma sighed as she answered her mother.

"Clearly." Bella chuckled sarcastically, handing Mr. Gold to David who could take the injured man's weight.

"Uh, I drove a ship." Henry said proudly to his grandfather.

"Did you now?"

"Yeah, my dad showed me how." He glanced at the stranger helping Mr. Gold and carrying his cane.

"That's me." The man awkwardly waved at him.

"Thank you." Mr. Gold breathed out as they leaned him up against the back of David's truck.

"Here, let me." Bella moved forwards and looked at the wound, smirking when she heard him wince as she cleaned the wound. "So you managed to go to a place with no magic and get poisoned."

"Celeste?" He questioned, looking into her deep ocean eyes with hope. "Are you?"

"No, still Bella but Mary Margaret explained everything and what can I lose by believing it." She shrugged, placing a proper bandage over his wound so they can transport him. "So no dieing on me, I can't lose my husband."

"Husband?" The man said aloud, looking at the doctor with confusion. "You got married?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm currently cursed and don't remember anything but I guess I'm your step-mother." Bella laughed, offering her hand. "And according to Mary, step-mothers are evil so beware."

"I'll keep that in mind." He grinned at her joke and shook her hand. "Neil."

"You okay?" Emma questioned as she wandered over to Mr. Gold.

"Ah, I'm beginning to feel a bit stronger." Mr. Gold answered truthfully, the magic in Storybrooke helping him. "Take me back to my shop. There's magic there that can protect us."

"Let me guess, I get to go with Ruby." Henry sighed with annoyance at constantly being left out. It was only then that Bella realised Ruby was with them.

"You got it, kid."

"I'll keep him out of the crossfire." Ruby smiled at the worried mother.

Bella wandered away to help Mr. Gold into David's truck before jumping in her own car, Emma joining her. Obviously trying to avoid someone in the other car.

The men helped carry Mr. Gold into his store and sat him down on the makeshift bed.

"Emma. Did you find it?" He asked as he groaned in pain. Bella instantly sat beside him to keep an eye on the wound.

"Yeah, there's nothing in it." Emma stood before him with an empty glass jar in her hands. She shook it and paused as she heard something clatter. "What the hell?"

"Invisible chalk." Gold explained as she reached her hand in and grabbed the invisible item. "Use it in the front doorway. Draw a line. The rest of you? You might want to prepare for battle."

"Let me grab you a cup of tea." Bella mumbled, standing up and walking away to make him something to drink. "Here."

"Thank you, love." He happily accepted the mug, placing it beside him as he grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him. "I'm dying."

"I noticed." She stroked her hand through his hair, cupping his face. "And I can't even help because I'm stuck in this cursed state."

"I know, dearie, but I have a way." Gold looked up at her with sad eyes, trying to remember every detail of her face. "It just might work."

"We can only hope." Bella leaned down, hesitantly stopping before his lips. "And I truly do hope." She whispered before touching her lips on his, remembering all the things he has done for her while in her cursed state.

"I drew the invisible line. I think." Emma said as she and Mary Margaret wandered back into the room just as Bella fell back, her head pounding. "Bella?"

"You fucking asshole!" She growled, looking up at the dying man. "The audacity to get yourself poisoned! I should have stayed in the hospital and forced you to stay here."

"Bella?" Mary Margaret approached the woman, kneeling down to help her off the floor. "Are you okay?"

"No, because my name isn't Bella." She looked up with a mischievous smile on her lips. "And I have a pirate to kill."